


A Little Perspective

by RenkaWrites



Series: A Series of Conversations [1]
Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Danny/Sam(mentioned), M/M, Pompous Pep, Sam Manson(mentioned only), Season 3 and Phantom Planet never happened, Vlanny, pretty canon compliant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-05
Updated: 2016-06-05
Packaged: 2018-07-12 09:48:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7097527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RenkaWrites/pseuds/RenkaWrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Danny and Sam have a bad fight, the young halfa gets some advice and comfort from an unlikely source.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Little Perspective

**Author's Note:**

> FIRST STORY POSTED ON A03(LONG TIME READER. FIRST TIME USER)!  
> (I'm reposting/editing my older fics as I get used to Ao3's posting formats)
> 
> Warnings: Not much here to warn about, some cursing and reference to a male/male relationship. (There is no sex or anything yet since Danny is only 16 years old in this first part). UNBETAED
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim to own, any part of the Danny Phantom Franchise. All parts belong to Butch Hartman and Nickelodeon/Viacom . . . Even the parts that are intangible.
> 
> *Just so you all know, I pretty much ignore most of the third season and the "Phantom Planet" movie because it managed to completely destroy the awesomeness known as Vlad Masters. *SPOILER ALERT* (C'mon, why on earth would a multi-billionaire ask for more money? - I get the whole 'complete control of Earth' thing, though Vlad never seemed to be that type of villain) Anyway, this takes place as if the entire asteroid-thing never existed and Danny and Vlad still have their secret identities.
> 
> ENJOY.
> 
> Part One of Three - A Series of Conversations
> 
> P.S. _Italicized text_ = Thoughts

 

 

Ever since that "tense" text conversation, Danny Fenton has spent the last two days in his room—only leaving to go to school or fight the occasional ghost. His current funk is understandable, though. After all, for all intents and purposes, he had just been dumped by his best friend and girlfriend of one year, Samantha Manson.

To no one's real surprise, the two had finally admitted their feelings about each other and started to date upon entering their freshman year of high school. At first it was fun, the two teens had a lot in common and the attraction was definitely there. The fun they had together in their youth and the battles they've faced ghost-hunting seemed like a strong foundation for a relationship. However, being friends and being a couple are two _very_ different things. As his best friend, Sam had no problem helping Danny out and covering for his frequent absences due to the frequent ectoplasmic residents of Amity Park. But as his girlfriend, Sam had started to get annoyed when his ghost hunting would interfere with their dates and ruin their plans. And as time went on, this slight annoyance turned into a resentment that had created a rift in their relationship. Even Tucker Foley began to notice the growing tension between his best friends.

Not to say that Daniel Fenton's lackluster mood hadn't gone unnoticed at home, either. His parents had made various attempts to understand the teen's mood, their well-meaning efforts only making the young halfa feel worse . . .

Because whenever a person has relationship problems, the last thing that person wants to see is a happy couple, even if it was their own well-meaning mother and father.

Despite that, the ghost boy always smiled as his parents were only trying to help.

Currently, Danny is enjoying a plate of Maddie's latest attempt to help her son—her rarely made chocolate chip cookies. Even as his blue eyes hopelessly stare at the phone screen, the treat is appreciated. It is at times like this, Danny wishes he could tell his parents his secret identity and the true reason why his relationship with Sam is suffering. If the teen had known being a half-ghost superhero was so detrimental to a romantic relationship, he might have reconsidered his career choice . . . or at the very least, he would have spent more time learning how to make better clones of himself.

As he thinks over the last few months, and how quickly his relationship with his girlfriend has deteriorated, Danny sighs and flops on his bed. He stares at one of the NASA posters decorating his room as pale fingers idly play with his phone, hoping that Sam would break down and finally make contact. If the teen had learned anything dating the goth girl, it was that when Sam is mad it is ALWAYS best to let her cool off. She will eventually approach him whenever she is ready to talk. Until then, the ghost boy has no choice but to wait patiently.

Lost in his thoughts, the brooding teen almost misses the knock on his door.

"Danny, can I come in?"

Recognizing his older sister's voice, the young hero simply sighs.

"Be my guest," the teen responds absentmindedly.

Opening the door, Jazz enters and then closes it behind her. Her own blue eyes are focused on the reclining form of her little brother with an analyzing look on her face. Danny simply stares back at his older sister, waiting for her to start the conversation.

"So, did you want something?" ventures the youngest Fenton. "Or are you just gonna stare?"

"Danny, is everything okay? Mom and Dad are really worried about you."

_So, that's why she's here. Mom must have sent her._

"I'm fine, Jazz. I just wanted some time to think."

"Oh, okay. . . It's just that I've noticed that you and Sam haven't been hanging out a lot recently. Did you two have a fight?"

Sometimes, Danny really hates how well Jazz can read him. The way she's so easily able to decipher his various moods always had a way of grating his nerves, although sometimes(like now) it helps that he doesn't have to explain everything. She just understands—but then again, Jasmine Fenton is studying to be a psychologist. He supposes that it is just a part of her analytical nature.

"Yeah, you could say that," Danny admits as he sits up, putting his phone down on the table beside his bed.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

The question makes the teen raise an eyebrow with a smirk.

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not really, but it usually makes you feel better when you think you do."

The joke causes a dry chuckle to escape the teen's lips. Sitting up, he faces his sister as she sits primly on his desk chair. Jazz tilts her head and watches her little brother with a gentle and knowing gaze. Danny smiles at his sister's subconscious actions—she hasn't even graduated high school yet and the eighteen year old is already behaving like a professional therapist.

"So, what happened?"

With a deep breath, Danny prepares himself for the conversation about to start.

"Sam's angry with me because I keep missing our dates."

"Why do you keep missing them?"

"My 'extra-curricular activities' tend to get in the way."

The future psychologist lets out an understanding sound as she realizes that her brother is referring to ghost hunting and his career as Danny Phantom. Danny knows that Jazz is constantly proud that her baby brother is the one protecting Amity Park from all the ghosts, so she is understandably surprised by his less-than-enthusiastic tone to his voice. After all, she has always assumed Danny and his friends were proud of his heroic accomplishments as well. Today is probably one of the first times that Jazz has ever heard Danny(or Sam or Tucker) complain about it.

"I'm sure that you're just misunderstanding Sam," the elder sibling suggests. "After all, she and Tucker know better than anyone that your ghost fighting is important. Without your efforts, Amity Park would only have Mom and Dad to protect them. As well-meaning as our parents are, they  aren't nearly as effective as Danny Phantom. "

"Yeah, but Sam isn't just my friend anymore, she's my _girlfriend_ ," Danny protests. His gaze shifts back over to his phone as he remembers the last conversation he had with Sam. "Things are different now."

Jazz's face softens as she begins to understand her brother's recent moodiness. Danny's eyes widen as she stands up and walks over to take a seat on the bed next to him. Nothing is said between the two siblings as a comforting hand is placed on the young hero's shoulder.

"Danny, of course things are different. The two of you have completely changed your relationship with each other. Sam is now reacting to your actions as any normal girlfriend would. No one, no matter how understanding they are, likes to feel like they aren't a priority to their significant other. However, it sounds to me that the real issue is that you're using ghost-fighting as an excuse not to deal with your changing roles and interaction with each other."

For a moment, Danny is completely blown away by his sister's explanation for his feelings. For the past two days, the hybrid ghost has been struggling to figure out the thoughts that his sister managed to straighten out in mere minutes. Though his issue aren't completely solved, Danny can't help but be impressed with her skills for a minute before he responds.

" . . . I guess that makes sense."

Seeming pleased with her diagnosis, Jazz smiles as she stands up from the bed.

"I'm sure that if you and Sam just face these changes head on and talk it out, everything will work out for the best, little brother."

With that, the elder Fenton sibling leaves Danny to the recurring thought that he's had circling his mind for the last couple of days. As much as he appreciates his family trying to help(Jazz did actually help a bit), he can't help but think the one common thought all teenagers seem to have:

_They just don't understand._

So, quickly transforming into his spectral self, the ghost boy flies out of his window and into the sky—after all, a flight around Amity Park has always managed to clear his head in the past. Danny uses his spectral speed to climb high above the clouds and far from his problems on the ground. Soaring over the city, the setting sun bathing the ghost-afflicted town in a warm, orange light, the hero simply focuses all his energy on flying. The cool evening air flowing through his silver-hair helps calm the young halfa's mood and a light smile appears on his face. As he makes his way over the center of Amity Park, a familiar gasp of cold air escapes Danny's mouth—his ghost sense. It shocks him out of his reverie and momentarily pauses his flight plan(as loose as it is). Looking around, the teen searches for any signs of ectoplasmic energy nearby. Glowing green eyes widen as they notice a man standing on the roof of Amity Park City Hall, lazily smoking a cigarette. While not an unusual sight, Danny flies closer to investigate. Another wave of surprise passes through the ghost hero him he recognizes the form of the city's mayor—Vlad Masters a.k.a. Plasmius.

Upon seeing the relaxed form of his arch nemesis, a grumble of frustration rumbles in the teen's throat.

_God, I'd love to wipe that smug look off his stupid face . . ._

Getting an idea, the young halfa turns himself invisible and flies closer. The teen has decided that messing with the older ghost may help to relieve some of his stress or at the very least prove to be amusing. With a plan to scare Vlad semi-formed, Danny stealthily begins his descent and lands a few feet away from his target.

The mayor of Amity Park is leaning on the stone railing of the building, a lit cigarette between his thin lips. Dressed in his usual black suit, the man looked as intimidating and debonair as always. His long, silver hair is pulled back into a low ponytail and sharp, cobalt-blue eyes gaze out at the city sprawled before them. As the invisible ghost teen nears the man, he can tell Vlad's face is set in deep thought. The raw expression is enough to pause Danny in the midst of his mischief.

_I wonder what Vlad's thinking about so hard . . . probably a new way to ruin my life and marry Mom._

A puff of smoke leaves the elder's lips as Danny moves a hand closer to him. The young halfa's plan it to yank the man's ponytail and give him the shock of his life. Admittedly, it isn't Danny's best prank, yet he has often found that simplicity can yield rather hilarious results. Just as white-gloved fingers are about to graze the silver strands, a set of blue eyes close and a small chuckle escapes the older man's lips.

"Good evening, Daniel."

Shocked, Danny simply floats there. Not knowing what else to do, he slowly turns himself visible. At the young phantom's appearance, a satisfied smirk pulls at the billionaire's lips.

"How did you know I was here?" demands the ghost boy, a bit lamely.

Rolling his eyes, Vlad sighs. The exasperation is practically tangible.

"Did you really think you were the only one able to sense spectral energy? You are aware that we are _both_ half-ghosts, right?"

"Don't remind me," Danny remarks as an annoyed look crosses his face.

The teen has always hated whenever the other halfa reminded him of how similar they are. During those times, the young Fenton would start to mentally list their differences. It is a well-honed tool that the young halfa uses to distance himself from his elder counterpart. But every time, to Danny's growing dismay, that list keeps getting shorter and harder to remember.

"So, what brings you here this lovely evening? Were you taking a late-afternoon patrol flight around our fair city?"

"Yeah, what of it?"

Danny's hackles rise further when his answer only makes the grin on Vlad's face grow.

"My, my little badger, you seem to be quite on edge today . . . Is something bothering you? A personal problem, perhaps?"

"It's none of your business."

"Seeing as a few moments ago you were planning to take out whatever frustrations you had on me, I think it is very much _my business_."

Realizing that the older halfa is indeed right, the ghost teen narrows his eyes and warily takes a seat on the stone ledge. Danny positions his body so that it faces towards the billionaire as the man takes another drag from his cigarette. Spandex-clad legs are crossed underneath the hero as Danny takes in this somewhat unfamiliar version of his arch nemesis.

"I didn't know you smoked."

"Occasionally, but don't change the subject."

Ordinarily, Danny would simply fly off with some parting insult about Vlad's age, however a feeling, a gut instinct really, tells him that maybe the elder could be trusted.

 _Maybe_.

"Do you really want to know what's wrong or are you just trying to annoy me?"

"I haven't decided yet."

The sly response from the man beside him makes Danny roll his eyes as he looks at the sunset. For a while, both ghosts simply watch as the reds and oranges of the late afternoon sky merge into the blues and violets of night. With a sigh, Danny changes back to his human form and starts to speak in a low voice. If it wasn't for their close proximity, Vlad probably wouldn't have heard a word.

"Sam and I had a bad fight, I think we're breaking up."

At the confession, Vlad seems to quickly browse through his memory of Samantha Manson—the fiercely, independent young woman that his teen enemy is so obviously, if not foolishly,  enamored with. Vlad has been aware of their relationship, but has not really paid too much attention to it outside of it's simple existence. As a Fortune 500 CEO, City Mayor, and Ectoplasmic Super Villain, he likes to think he has more important things to spend his time thinking about. A gust of wind blows by as Vlad takes a glance at his rival's forlorn expression—the boy obviously needing someone to vent his issues to without judgement. Remembering his own turbulent adolescence, the man's intense blue gaze returns to the horizon as he silently waits for the youth to continue.

"I mean, we've fought before, but this time was definitely the worst. She hasn't talked to me in two days."

An amused sound, dangerously close to a chuckle, escapes the man's throat. Enraged by the elder having fun at his expense, powder-blue eyes narrow into thin slits. An angry expression forms on the young face as he hops off the ledge and stalks over to the man.

"What the hell's wrong with me? Why am I telling **you** any of this? You know what? . . . I don't even care what you think anyway! You're just some lonely, bitter old man who's never even had a girlfriend. Why on earth did I believe that you of all people could help me?"

The teen's tirade causes the elder's eyes to lower his eyes in contemplation. Normally, the other halfa's words didn't seem to affect him—after all, the older ghost should be far used to Danny yelling at him. Vlad usually just tunes it out as he figured that it is therapeutic to let the youth vent. However, this time, the young hero's angry ranting has struck a raw and sensitive cord.

"Yes, after all, what could I possibly know about the cruelty of first love?"

"Exactly! You're a forty-something year old man and you're still head over heels in love with my moth-"

Catching onto the tone that the elder used to speak those previous words, Danny freezes in his self-righteous rant. There is a bittersweet sadness to the deep voice that is completely different from Vlad's usual condescending tone. The bare emotion surprises the teen, since the elder halfa is a master of misdirection and emotional manipulation.

_Oh yeah . . ._

_I guess Vlad would know exactly how harsh first love is._

The teen ghost is snapped out of his thoughts when a heavy sigh escapes the man's lips.

"Despite what you think of me Daniel, I did truly love your mother. I still do."

"I know, the multiple attempts to kill my father made it pretty clear."

A hearty chuckle escapes the man at the teen's comment. In Vlad's mind he remembers all the scheming and plotting he has done in the last few years to obtain Maddie Fenton's affections. All of them, every single one, had either failed miserably or been outsmarted by a mere teenager. Perhaps, that fact in of itself, is a blatant sign that his feelings weren't as resolute as he had once believed them to be.

"There are different forms of love, and even then it changes," Vlad begins. His voice is steady and oddly wise to Danny's ears. "With the passage of time it can burn and intensify or just as easily weaken and fade away. For instance, I've recently realized that the romantic love I have for your mother is waning."

At the words, the young ghost's pale blue eyes widen.

_Wait a second . . . Is Vlad saying that he's getting over Mom? But if that's true-_

"Then why are you still so fixated on her?" inquires the teen, the curious words leaving his mouth before he can stop them.

"The same reason why you are so fixated on Ms. Manson, I believe."

Seeing the surprised look on the teen's face, the mayor realizes that he'll have to explain himself.

"Maddie was always a kind, understanding, and beautiful person, she still is. It is her nature to help others. I came from a troubled home life and she was one of the few people that I could depend on. In her college years, your mother was the type of woman any normal man would have a crush on. It was understandable that both your father and I adored her. During the time I was suffering with Ecto-Acne and remained hospitalized for years, my fond memories of Maddie were the only things that kept me sane. She was a goal that I set for myself to achieve, a reason to fight the infection in my body. I suppose it was in that time that my feelings intensified and grew into romantic love."

_Why is Vlad telling me this? I know, he's probably just trying to manipulate me and make me feel sorry for him . . . Good luck with that one, fruit loop!_

"When I had finally learned how to use and control my ecto-abilities and amassed my fortune, I thought that I had all I needed to care for her. All I ever wanted to do was return the favor that your mother had unknowingly done for me. But by the time I had built up my wealth and status, I had learned that Maddie had married Jack and was pregnant with your sister, Jasmine. That day, all I could think about was that I had lost the one person in my life that had cared about me to the man who had already taken away so much. To keep some semblance of my sanity, I focused all of my energy into hating your father and I blamed him for everything. In my eyes, he became the evil villain, the obstacle in my way to happiness."

As the young ghost listens to his story, he subconsciously puts himself into Vlad's position in an attempt to comprehend the bitter man's side of the story. He then tries putting Sam into his mother's role and Tucker into his father's, and suddenly the elder halfa doesn't seem as crazy as the teen has always labeled him to be. But even with this realization, the youth can't even grasp the concept of despising one of his best friends . . .

"But Dad practically worships you. To him, you've always been his best friend, 'Vladdie', or his college buddy 'V-man'. He still tells me stories about the stuff the two of you did."

Smirking at the nostalgic nicknames and memories, Vlad finishes his cigarette and flicks the butt into a nearby trash can.

"Yes, well, Jack is a good-hearted and well-meaning man. Albeit a simple-minded one. I imagine it would take quite a lot to convince him to see the bad in anyone . . . Unless they are a ghost, of course," finishes the mayor as he smirks at his joke.

"What exactly are you saying Vlad?

"What I'm trying to articulate to you, Daniel, is that love can be blissfully eternal or it can also be tragically evanescent."

"Evanescent?, like that band?"

"Evanescent, as in fleeting," Vlad corrects, fighting his urge to roll his eyes at the education system of Casper High. "As much as I loved your mother, I've long since realized that Maddie and I will never be. Among other things, the simple irony of our professions would never make for a stable relationship. To be honest, it became a burden to love someone so much and not even be acknowledged."

"If you know that, then why do you still attack Dad?"

"I may have accepted the futility of my attempts, but it doesn't mean I like it. Your father still caused me great physical pain due to his idiocy and because of it, I lost years of my life recuperating in hospitals. I suppose I'm just a bitter, lonely old man, after all."

The man's use of Danny's earlier phrase, causes the teen to look down at his feet guiltily.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to-"

"Stop Daniel, I must truly be pathetic to have earned your pity . . . just attribute my ramblings to a very long and taxing day."

After those words, the man pulls out and lights another cigarette. Obviously uncomfortable with the turn in conversation, Vlad returns his attention to the sunset. Danny's powder blue eyes simply watch as the man inhales and then exhales a stream of smoke. The teen focuses on thin, aristocratic fingers as they close the billionaire's engraved lighter and return it to his pant pocket.

"So, what's causing the relationship problems between you and Miss Manson?"

Startled by the change of subject, Danny flusters for a bit before answering Vlad's question.

"Sam's mad that I'm always off fighting ghosts, somewhere. It tends to interfere with our quality time together."

"Ah, one of the oldest arguments in the book—a woman wanting to know how high she ranks in a man's list of priorities. Samantha simply wants to know if she means more to you than your ghost hero activities."

"That's ridiculous. Besides, Jazz said that we were just confused about our changing relationship."

"Are you?"

Danny is struck silent by the blunt question. As much as Jazz words did help to unjumble the knot of his thoughts, they didn't quite sort it out.

"Well, no, not really. Sam's my girlfriend and I'm her boyfriend, it's great. We always have fun together, I mean, at least whenever we _actually_ are together. It's not like I can control when I have to fight all the ghosts that seem to haunt only this town."

"Then quit ghost hunting and leave it to professionals like your parents. Amity Park seemed to do just fine before Danny Phantom came around."

The seemingly simple advice causes the teen to glare suspiciously at Vlad.

"You'd just love that, wouldn't you, _Plasmius_?"

"Well, it would make it easier to implement all of my evil schemes," the ghostly villain muses with a dark grin appearing on his face. The look effectively manages to unnerve the young ghost for a moment. 

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't plan on retiring anytime soon."

"Fine, if you are so fond of being a hero, then break up with Miss Manson."

"WHAT?"

"It seems to me that if you want to keep your girlfriend, you have to put her first. However, doing so will cause you to slack on your responsibilities as a hero. To solve your problem, you simply have to decide which is more important."

"That's ridiculous! Sam's _knows_ how much I care about her and she's _always known_ how important ghost fighting is. She'd never make me chose between the two."

"Are you sure about that, Daniel?"

"What do you mean?" asks Danny, internally annoyed that he was actually interested in the man's opinion.

"I'm sure that at first it was exciting for Miss Manson to help you save Amity Park from ghosts on a daily basis, but now the novelty is starting to wear off. As your girlfriend, Samantha now views your ghost half as something that gets in between the two of you and apparently she has developed a slight resentment of it."

"Why would Sam resent me?"

"Simply because Miss Manson is human, and whether or not she is conscious of it, she holds you up to her standards. She treats you like a normal person, like a normal _human_ boyfriend, but the problem is that you aren't. You are half human _and_ half ghost, a small group that currently consists only of the two of us. We have the advantages of both as well as the unfortunate task of having to deal with all of the weaknesses. That burden is something that Samantha, and perhaps no human, could ever truly understand."

As Danny thinks about the elder's words, he has to begrudgingly admit that they were true. Being a half ghost is something that no one ever completely understood, despite their best intentions. They all just see the cool parts, the exciting, amazing, and wonderful parts. Sure flying and being able to kick ghostly butt is great, but the lack of sleep, constant strain on his body, and pure exhaustion that comes from trying to master his ecto-abilities tends to frequently take all the fun out of it. 

"You make it sound like we're going to be alone forever," Danny mutters as the truth of Vlad's words settle upon him.

"My boy, you know nothing of the loneliness that I've had to experience and you probably never will. You are fortunate enough to be surrounded by family and friends that will always care about you and help through your ordeals, even if they don't quite understand the extent of them," the villain states, his tone now strangely comforting to the teen.

Danny once again looks down at his feet, unsure of what to say to that. Realizing that he has stumped the boy into silence, Vlad continues.

"Whether or not you and Miss Manson reconcile your differences, I doubt that you'll ever lose her friendship. Come talk to me when you receive an invitation to the wedding of your former best friend and the love of your life or four years later when they ask you to be the godfather of their newborn and cheeky son. "

The comment is said jokingly, but the well-hidden pain can still be heard in his voice. Suddenly, the realization makes Danny embarrassed that he had overreacted to such a seemingly insignificant fight he had with his girlfriend. A frown appears on the young face, annoyed that the man has managed to make him feel sorry for the lonely bachelor.

"Yeah, well it's not like I asked them to make you my godfather. Besides they were only trying to make you feel like a part of the family," the young ghost supplies.

"I'm aware of their efforts, and in a way I'm thankful. After all, I am no longer the only one of my kind. Despite the animosity between us, it is reassuring to know that I'm not alone as a hybrid ghost."

_Yeah, I guess it is . . ._

Struggling to appropriately comment on the elder's words, Danny can't help but feel that the billionaire's advice was learned the hard way. The young hero is almost certain that the man had experienced these painful realizations firsthand.

And by knowing these intimate secrets and thoughts of his nemesis, it makes blindly hating the man considerably harder.

Though the other halfa is a middle-aged man, the villain always seemed untouchable, like he is above such human emotions as sadness and depression. His vampiric ghost form and patronizing demeanor only adds to the effect. In Danny's young mind, Plasmius is an evil and invincible force that the teen constantly fights against to protect the city and people he cares about. But as he is now, a man in his early forties that is still fighting for the lost love of his life despite knowing the futility of it all, Danny's former one-sided perception of Vladimir Masters seems naïve and judgmental. At this humbling realization, Danny feels an odd stirring of emotions.

For the first time in his life, Daniel Fenton feels disappointed in his parents. He can't understand how they were both unable to see that their friend was suffering for all those years and still is. They didn't even visit him when he was in the hospital all those years, and it wasn't until their high school reunion that Danny knew the man even existed . . . a man that could have been his god-father!

For the first time in his life, the teen truly empathizes with another person. Not that false emotion people pretend to have, but the actually feeling that he understands even a small portion of the man's pain. Somewhere deep inside, he realizes that maybe he is the _only_ one even capable to empathize with the other half-ghost.

For the first time since knowing Vlad, the young phantom has the urge to reach out and touch the man, to reassure him. To let the other ghost know that there has to be someone in the world that could care about him . . . that there is somebody out there that would love the man unconditionally. Danny truly wants to believe that there has to be someone that will give the crestfallen man something to be passionate about again— without destroying him in the process.

_If only I could be the person to do that._

That last thought alone causes all of Danny's higher brain functions to stop. As he tries to process the origin of that idea, sky blue eyes darken to a stormy grey. A perfect reflection of his conflicting emotions. His teeth anxiously chew on his lower lip as he tries to figure out what he should do or say.

Observing the strange emotions passing across the younger halfa's face, Vlad turns to the teen with a concerned look.

"Cheer up little badger, you are far too young to have such an expression on your face."

He accompanies his reassuring comment with one of his normal, teasing smiles. One of Vlad's large hands then affectionately rustles messy, black hair and unknowingly causes a faint blush to stain the youth's cheeks. When the man removes his hand, Danny is mortified that he was actually enjoying the warm touch.

_What the hell was that?_

A chirping tone interrupts the peaceful silence between superhero and supervillain. As the younger ghost recognizes the sound as his message tone, he is brought out of the surreal moment he is sharing with Vlad and back into reality. The teenager pulls the device out of his back pocket and opens the text message waiting for him.

 

 

 

"It's from Sam, she's waiting for me at the Nasty Burger," Danny announces, completely unsure of how to feel about the olive branch being offered to him. 

"Ah. It seems that you were bent out of shape for nothing . . . then again children your age are prone to overreaction."

The jibe at his generation makes the teen rolls his eyes. Before he retorts with a teasing comment about the man's age, Vlad speaks again.

"You better get going, Daniel. Even with my limited experience, I know that most women do not like to be kept waiting."

Nodding silently in agreement, Danny seamlessly changes back to his ghost form and hovers near the mayor.

"Um, about this talk we had-"

"You're welcome, Little Badger. I wouldn't want you to strain yourself by expressing gratitude towards me."

Rolling his own eyes, now green in color, Danny adopts one of his heroic poses—much to Vlad's amusement.

"This doesn't change anything . . . I'll have no problem fighting you in the future."

"That's fine with me, I've never had a problem fighting you. It's good practice."

The man's teasing words causes a smirk to tug at the ghost hero's lips as he flies off into the dark night sky. Heading towards the neon lights of the Nasty Burger, Danny mentally goes over his conversation with Vlad. Part of him can't believe that he has spent the last hour or so talking about his rather insignificant problem with a truly troubled person. Another part of him is annoyed with himself that he had tried to take out his childish frustrations on the one person that has actually helped him. The phantom teen is also shocked at how quickly his opinion of the older halfa has changed in only half an hour. Opening his phone, the young specter quickly texts a response to his girlfriend.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> This is a set up for my exploration of Danny/Vlad's complex relationship, I promise that the next part will have more Danny/Vlad action.
> 
> POST STORY NOTES:
> 
> To be clear, I don't hate Sam. In fact, as a character I really like her(and she's voiced by one of my favorite voice actors- Grey DeLisle). I just think that the relationship between her and Danny isn't going to last, but they'll always be really good friends.(Though I do give the writers of the show credit for at least making their romance somewhat realistic. It wasn't pulled out of nowhere)
> 
> I also bear no ill will towards Danny's parents(Despite their faults, it's still pretty neat that they are ghost hunters) or Jazz.
> 
> P.S. I had Vlad smoke b/c I just imagined him being an occasional one.
> 
>  
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> BTW, this story/series was inspired by Junjo Romantica. I was recently re-reading the series and I realized how similar Usagi's and Vlad's feelings of unrequited love were. Unable to have the one they thought they wanted, they didn't even consider that there was a better option right in front of them. (If you haven't read the manga series Junjo Romantica by Shungiku Nakamura, I highly recommend it!)
> 
> Phone text generator - http://www.fakephonetext.com/


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